Liquid-congealing apparatus and process of treating same



Nov. 1, 1938. w. B. ANDERSON 2 LIQUID CONGEALING APPARATUS AND PROCESS OF TREATING SAME Filed May 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III 15 as L////7A 14 WITNESSES: v INVENTOR 4a WILL.1RM'BI.HNDERSON.

(5.711 17; ATTOEY i Nov. 1, 1938. w. B. ANDERSON I 2,135,022

LIQUID CONGEALING APPARATUS AND PROCESS OF TREATING SAME Filed May 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Z 2; FIG 14 as Flcha.

WITNESSES; INVENTOR 61A 3 m fl 7 WILLIAM B.ANDER$ON- ATTOR Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES IJQUID-CONGEALING APPARATUS AND PROCESS OF TBEATHQGSAME William B. Anderson, Springfield, Mass, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application May 16, 1935, Serial No. 21,825

8Glaims.

My invention relates to the ice trays for the formationof ice particles, and more specifically to a process for treating ice trays to facilitate removal of ice particles therefrom.

It is an object of my invention to provide a process for treating ice trays which will facilitate the removal of congealed liquid therefrom, and which will preserve the surfaces of the trays.

It is another object of my invention to improve the performance of ice trays of the type wherein congealed liquid may be removed from the ice tray by mechanical force, without the applicationof heat.

These and other objects are eifected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, with portions thereof broken away, of an ice tray of the'type designed for the mechanical ejection of congealed liquid, to which my process may be applied;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the ice tray taken on line III1' of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is another sectional .view of the ice tray taken on line IIII1I of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the center elevator bar of the ice tray shown in Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5 is a view of apparatus for treating an ic tray in accordance with my. invention;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the aforesaid center elevator bar;

Fig. 7 is aside elevation of the center elevator bar;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the separable grid member of the ice tray; and,

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the separable grid member; 1"

Referring specifically to the drawings for a detailed description of my invention, numeral ll designates generally an icetray which includes a pan member l2 having a removable grid membeii3 and a center elevator bar It disposed therein. Handle members l5 are pivotally attached to the center elevator bar It at points It for a purpose hereinafter described. The pan [2, removable grid member l3, center elevator bar it, and handles l5 are all preferably. diecast aluminum, although it is obvious that other materials may be substituted for aluminum, and other methods of forming the various parts of the ice tray may be employed.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 3,8, and 9, the grid member [3, preferably formed of die-cast aluminum, comprises a fiat bottom portion l'l having spaced upwardly-extending fins it. The ilns l8 are preferably cast integrally with the bottom portion I'l and are arranged transversely of the grid member I; in two complementary rows with a space I9 therebetween. A raised ridge 2i ex- 5 tends longitudinally of the grid member ll, filling the space l9 at the bottom thereof. Lugs 22 are provided at the top of the g'rid' member I3, and provide bearing surfaces 23 on a plane coinciding with the horizontal plane of the ,top 10 of the grid member. The dimensions of the grid member l3 are such that it-flts loosely in the pan member l2, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Y

The pan member I2 is formed with outwardlyextending shoulders 25 which provide bearing 15 surfaces 20 on a plane coinciding with the top of the pan member (Fig. 2). Recesses are formed in the bearing surfaces 20 for the reception of the lugs 22 of the grid member 13, so that the planes of the bearing surfaces 23 and 20 20 substantially coincide.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7, the center elevator bar II is provided with spaced and flared lugs 26 on each side thereof, which form recesses 21 at the bottom of the elevator 25 bar". The lugs 26 are so spaced that they extend outwardly between the fins it of grid mem-, ber l3, while the remainder of the elevator barll fits into the space l9 between the transverse fins l8 on the grid member 13, and the recesses 30 21 receive the longitudinal ridge 2| formed in the grid member IS. The elevator bar l4 isprovided with integral cars 28 having apertures 29 there.- in for the reception of pivot pins 3|, whereby the handle members ii are pivoted, asshown at I6. 5

The handle members ii are preferably formed in the shape of bars, and are provided with forked extensions 30 which fit on either side of the ears 28 of the elevator bar It, and through which the pivot pins 3 l extend. Rounded toe portions 32 40 are provided on the forked extensions 30 adjacent the pivot points [6. Protuberances 33-are provided on the under part of the handle members I5 to prevent freezing of the handle members to the grid member I 3. When the ice tray 5 II is assembled as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, cells 34 are formed for the reception of liquid to be congealed or frozen, the walls of the grid, pan, and center elevator bar constituting ice contacting surfaces.

The operation of the ,ice' tray is as follows: When the tray H is filled with liquidand heat is extracted therefrom, the-liquid in the cells 34 congeals. As is well known, ice adheres to metal so that considerable force is necessary in order (ll to break the bond between the frozen liquid and the metallic surfaces of the container in which the ice is made. The usual method of removing ice particles from an ice tray is to subject the tray to heat in order to melt some of the ice. so that it may be easily removed from the tray. In the ice tray shown in the drawings, however. the ice particles are removed from the tray by the use of mechanical force rather than by the application of heat.

After the ice has been frozen in the cells 34, the handles I 5 may be grasped and rotated simultaneously about the pivot points it. The toe portions 32 of the handles l5 first engage with the bearing surfaces 20 provided on the pan member l2. The center elevator bar I and grid member I 8, being frozen together, are simultaneously lifted because of the cam action of the toe portions 32 with respect to thepan member l2. The flared lugs 26 on the elevator bar ll force the ice particles upwardly of the pan l2 thus breaking the ice bond between the pan member i2 and the ice particles.

As the handle members I! are rotated a greater distance about the pivot it, the toe members 82 of the handles i5 engage with both the bearing surfaces 23 formedby the extensions 22 on the grid member I! and the bearing surface 20 formed by the extensions 25 on the pan member l2, thus raising the elevator bar i4 relative to the grid member I! and breaking the ice bond between the elevator bar and the grid member, the lugs 26 onthe elevator bar ll forcing the ice cubes upwardly relative to the grid member II. The ice particles are therefore .broken away from all the ice contacting surfacesof the pan member l2 and gridmember l2 so that they may be easilyremoved from the ice congealing apparatus. The ice cubes may be removed from the ice congealing apparatus separately, or the handles l5 may be utilized to lift the grid member and elevator bar l4 together with the ice cubes out of the pan i2 so that all the ice cubes may be readily removed therefrom if desirable.

As stated hereinbefore, all of the parts of the tray are preferably formed of die-cast aluminum, although other materials and methods of forming them may be utilized. In any case, it

scopic rough'spots and depressions so that it requires great force to effect relative movement between various parts of the tray in order to break the ice bond between the contacting surfaces of the tray and the ice frozen therein. Although an extremely high polish overcomes this difficulty temporarily, such a process is prohibitive insofar as cost is concerned. Furthermore, whether thetrays are highly polished or not, it has been found that the ice contacting surfaces oxidize or corrode to such an extent that considerable force is required to break the ice bond/between the congealed liquid and'the ice contacting surfaces of the tray after the tray has been in service a relatively short time.

I have found that impregnating the ice contacting surfaces of the ice tray. with an oily substance prevents corrosion or oxidation of the ice tray, provides a lubricated surface from which frozen liquid in the ice tray is easily removed and fills in the microscopic rough spots and pores in the surfaces of the ice tray. The process which I preferably employ for the purpose of impregnating the ice contacting surfaces of the tray is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings and constitutes the following treatment. First the ice tray is heated to a relatively high temperature, for example, 800 F. and is then immersed in a lubricating fiuid such as, for example, mineral oil or camauba wax for a considerable time, for example, 30 minutes, which mineral oil or wax is rnlaintained at a relatively high temperature, suc as, for example, 450 F., at which temperature the wax is liquefied. The eflect of this treatment is to impregnate the ice contacting surfaces of the tray with a lubricant film which is a corrosion preventive, provides a surface inbricant. and fills the microscopic pores and rough spots in the ice tray surfaces. After such treatment, the lubricant film adheres to the ice tray surfaces for a long period of time, materials such as carnauba wax, for example, being hard at normal room temperature; As shown in Fig. 5, the ice tray, after it has been heated to a high temperature, is immersed preferably in mineral oil or wax, shown at 36, which is contained in a pan 3! and is maintained at a high temperature by a gas burner 38.

It has been found that, if after such impreg nation, a slight polish is given to the tray, ice cubes may be even more easily removed from the y.

Although it has been suggested heretofore to coat the surfaces of metals with oily substances for the purpose of preventing corrosion, I am not aware that impregnation has been used for impregnating the metallic portions of ice trays to facilitate removal of ice particles therefrom.

I have also found that, by processing trays of the mechanical ejection type in the manner described, ice cubes may be readily removed therefrom over long periods of time without the use of excessive force to break the bond between the congealed liquid and the tray.

While I have shown my invention inbut one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims. I

What I claim is: a

1. In the manufacture of an ice tray embodying a pan member and a grid member disposed in the pan member for forming ice cubes, one of said members being composed at least in part of a metal which is predominantly aluminum or an aluminum alloy and which member has inherent minute irregularities in the ice engaging surfaces thereof, the process of treating said one member so as to facilitate repeated separation of the ice cubes therefrom by manual effort as distinguished from the application of heat, which process includes maintaining a body of liquid material having greasy properties, applying said material to the metallic ice engaging surfaces of the member, and applying heat to the material and the member so as to substantially impregnate the ice engaging surfaces thereof and fill the irregularities in which the water upon freezing would otherwise adhere and thereby provide a relatively smooth ice engaging surface joined to the metal of said member and capable of withstanding said repeated separations, said material being innocuous to the taste of the ice.

2. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein the material containing a substantial percentage ofice-engaging metal surface having minute pores or irregularities therein impregnated with a strongly adhering thin substantially invisible coating of water-shedding material, said water- .shedding material comprising a substantial perv centage of a wax having such a high melting point as to be hard at normal room temperatures and of such character as to facilitate and withstand repeated separations of the ice therefrom by the application of force as distinguished from the use of heat.

A freezing device comprising: a container member for holding the liquid to be frozen, and a partitioning member for dividing the frozen contents into blocks, one of said members having an ice-engaging metal surface having minute pores or irregularities therein impregnated with a strongly-adhering thin substantially invisible coating of water-shedding material, said. watershedding material comprising a substantialpercentage of carnauba wax which is hard at normal room temperatures and of such character as to facilitate and withstand repeated separations of the ice therefrom by the application of force as distinguished from the use of heat.

' 6. In the manufacture of an ice tray embodying a pan member and a separable grid member disposed in the pan member for forming ice cubes, one of said members being composed predominantly of aluminum or an alloy thereof and having minute irregularities in the ice-engaging surfaces thereof, the process of treating said one member so as to facilitate repeated separation of the ice cubes therefrom by manual effort as distinguished from the application of heat, which process comprises immersing the ice engaging surfaces of the member in a material heated to an elevatedtemperature and having oily or greasy properties at such elevated temperature for a period of approximately thirty minutes so as to impregnate the surfaces thereof with the material and fill the irregularities, in which the ice upon freezing would otherwise adhere, and thereby provide a relatively smooth ice-engaging surface bonded to the body of said member and capable of withstanding said repeated separations,, said wax and being innocuous to the taste of the ice.

I. In the manufacture of an ice pan having side and bottom walls composed at least in part of a metal which is predominantly aluminum or an aluminum alloy and which metal has inherent minute i fl flfi ties in the ice engaging surfaces thereof, said ice pan being equipped with a grid for forming ice cubes, the process of treating the ice pan so as to facilitate repeated separation of the ice cubes from the pan by manual effort as distinguished from the application of heat, which (process includes maintaining a heated body of water-shedding material having a wax-like constituent in a liquefied form and subjecting the ice-engaging surface of the pan to the action of such material at such a temperature and for such a time as to substantially impregnate the surfaces and fill the irregularities, in which the water upon freezing would otherwise adhere with such material and thereby provide a relatively smooth iceengaging surface bonded to the metal of the pan and capable of withstanding said repeated separations, said water-shedding material being innocuous to the taste of the ice.

8. In the manufacture of an ice tray having a pan and a separable grid structure disposed in the pan for forming ice cubes, which grid structure embodies relatively movable elements some of which are composed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy and have inherent minute irregularities in the ice-e gaging surfaces thereof, the process of treating the .grid' structure so as to facilitate repeated separation of the ice cubes from the grid structure by manually effected relative displacement of the parts of the grid structure as distinguished from separation of the ice cubes from the grid structure by the application of heat, which process includes maintaining a heated body of water-shedding material having a wax-like constituent in liquefied form and subjecting the ice-engaging surfaces of the grid structure to the action of such material at such a temperature and for such a time as to substantially impregnate the surfaces and fill the irregularities, in which the water upon freezing would otherwise adhere and thereby provide a relatively smooth ice-engaging surface bonded to the metal of the grid structure and capable of withstanding said repeated separations, said water-shedding material being innocuous to the taste of the ice.

WILLIAM B. ANDERSON. 

